24 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



next in order of treatment. Bulbuls are birds of very 

 graceful form and movements ; in size they are rather 

 larger than Sparrows ; their wings are short but broad, 

 and their tails are long, and nearly even at the tip, instead 

 of being forked or tapering as is usually the case with 

 longish tails. Their bills are rather slight than stout, and 

 of moderate length ; their legs are decidedly short. They 

 usually have crests, bushy or pointed, as the case may be. 

 Cock and hen are alike in plumage. 



The White-eared Bulbul shown on Plate V (Fig. 3) 

 will give a good general idea of their appearance, and 

 they are all much of the same style, and easy to recognize 

 Usually they have a patch of bright colour under the tail. 

 They are sociable birds, with a graceful, but not rapid 

 flight ; they seldom come on the ground, where they look 

 awkward hopping #bout on their short legs ; but on trees 

 and bushes they are lively and active, and quite the most 

 ornamental small birds in India, although their colours are 

 usually sober. They feed mostly on fruit, berries, buds, 

 etc., and are not to be encouraged in a fruit and vegetable 

 garden ; but they take insects also, and feed the young 

 on these. They do not hold their food in their feet like 

 Babblers. Their nests are open and made of twigs and 

 fibres and their eggs are usually pink with red spots. One 

 or other species is found all over India, and Africa has many 

 species of its own as well. In captivity they are easy to 

 keep on any soft food and fruit, but unless hand- reared are 

 usually wild and uninteresting, and not at all desirable. 



THE COMMON BED -VENTED BULBUL (Molpastes ben- 

 galensis), is one of the most familiar birds in Calcutta. 



